


A Summer Holiday

by spaceorphan



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fake Dating, Fluff, Humor, Modern AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21763216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceorphan/pseuds/spaceorphan
Summary: Peggy Carter is a wildly successful lawyer, winning seventeen cases in a row! But when she finds her boyfriend has cheated on her, and she's forced to attend Howard Starks' wedding alone, she finds someone who can quickly fill in.  Steve Rogers enjoys his quiet life in the small town, but doesn't know what to expect when the beautiful Peggy Carter asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for a wedding.  He's more than happy to help her out.  But throughout all the pretending, Peggy and Steve begin to realize that all the feelings they're supposed to be pretending at might not be so fake after all.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

“Peggy, do you mind coming into my office for a moment.” 

Peggy Carter shuffled the papers on her desk into a neat pile, then stood. Hank Pym leaned against the doorway, a hand beaconing for her to follow him into his office. She wasn’t sure if Hank knew that he was being condescending to her when he barked orders like that. They had been partners at the law firm for ten years now, and she had expected some semblance of respect. And maybe he did. It didn’t, however, stop him from interrupting her work for what usually was some trivial discussion on his mad genius thought of the day. 

Yesterday, he went on all during lunch about how it might be possible to shrink to the size of an atom, all because he was defending a client who had gotten his pseudo-science lab blown up, which had the unfortunate side-effect of blowing up his assistants as well. She couldn’t imagine what he wanted to discuss today. 

“What can I do for you, Hank?” Peggy asked. 

Hank took a seat at his desk, and offered her a chair. She shook her head. No, she did not intend to stay that long if she could help it. There were four files on her desk of potential cases to take. She didn’t have time for chit-chat. 

“I wanted to congratulate you on your recent case,” Hank said. He smiled meekly, as if not caring at all about it. Standard issue compliment, as per usual. 

Hank had never been that impressed with her sense of justice, even though her record spoke for itself, and if he hadn’t been a friend of her father’s, he probably wouldn’t have taken her as a partner. Maybe it would have been for the better - Peggy would have been fine on her own as a lawyer. There were plenty of female lawyers these days, she really didn’t need to hitch herself to a man to get notoriety - even if Hank Pym was one of the most respected lawyers in town. 

“Well, you know it was a pretty straightforward case,” Peggy said. “Those elderly women were all being ripped off. Twelve of them, Hank.”

“Yes, right, well…” 

“The man stole the fortunes of twelve elderly women and then waited for them to die,” Peggy continued. Maybe Hank didn’t care about the people he represented, but she did. “He should have been caught earlier, if you ask me. But those poor women weren’t being listened to. Their families called them crazy and old. Half of them were only sixty. Sixty is not old, it’s just when society decides it’s time to discard women and not think another thing about them.” 

“Peggy…” Hank let out a heavy sigh. 

She had to listen to his nonsensical musings all the time, he can listen to her for a change. 

“No, Hank, you don’t get it. You keep representing all these millionaires who don’t really need our help, and here I am helping these elderly women who are being taken advantage of…” 

“Peggy....”

“And their families barely have pennies to scrape together to pay for help, but they do because some man decides he needs to have all of this money for himself. And what is he possibly going to buy with all this money? Another five yachts?” 

“Margaret! Stop!” 

Peggy sat with a huff in the chair. “Why did you call me in here, Hank?” 

Hank opened his desk drawer and pulled out a red and gold embroidered envelope. It had been sealed with a dark red wax seal with a single, blocky ‘S’ in the middle. He handed the envelope to Peggy. “Howard Stark is getting married.” 

“Oh god,” Peggy muttered. She pulled out the invitation, three pages of flowery wording in handwritten calligraphy, most likely written in precision by one of Stark’s robots. “Howard Stark has actually found someone who will put up with him for more than five miutes?” 

“I’m pretty sure he and Maria have been together for some time now,” Hank said, not as amused as she was “They’re having a baby together.”

“Just what the world needs, more little Starks running around.” 

“Anyway....” Hank said. “If you hadn’t already noticed, I haven’t been invited. Just you.” 

“What?” Peggy looked to the front of the envelope again. It was true - the invitation planely said Margaret Carter and plus one. “I wasn’t number one on his case?” 

“No, but you are the one who got him acquitted of a murder charge,” Hank said. “You’re the one who worked with that detective to find that it was one of his competitors framing him. I merely had my name on the case, you did do most of the work.” 

Peggy sat back in her chair in disbelief. A few years ago, she and Hank had defended Howard Stark. Usually, she wouldn’t handle such a case, Howard Stark was not the type of man she cared for all that much, but he had been surprisingly charming, and paid enough that she had been able to purchase her first real house. Still, he had gone traveling around the world after the trial. Peggy expected never to hear from him again. 

“And now he wants me at his wedding?” Peggy had no desire to go rub elbows with the rich and even more rich. “You can go, I’ll stay here and do work.” 

“Peggy, when’s the last time you had a vacation?” Hank frowned. For once, he had a mild look of concern on his face. 

“I can sleep when I’m dead,” Peggy retorted. 

“Look, I’m not going to deny that you’ve been on a roll lately,” Hank said. “But you don’t take any time for yourself. How many cases have you done in a row now?” 

“Seventeen.” 

“Seventeen! Peggy, god,” Hank shook his head. “Take the vacation. Howard’s getting married in some little town up in Maine. North Pointe. It’s lovely this time of year. Take Danny, relax. Enjoy the fact that you’re good at what you do. I’m sure Howard Stark will put you up in luxury.” 

Peggy winced at Danny’s name. She didn’t, however, want to talk about it with Hank. Besides, there was something else that she felt Hank wasn’t telling her. “Why are you trying to get rid of me, Hank?” 

“I’m not trying to get rid of you,” Hank said, though Peggy wasn’t sure she fully believed it. “What I want is for you to take care of yourself.”

“I won all seventeen of those cases,” Peggy pointed out. “Think of how many others I could be helping while I’m taking a holiday.” 

“Yes, and may I remind you that during those seventeen cases, your brother died, and you had to put your mother in a home. You haven’t dealt with any of that, so don’t tell me you’re a good use to people if you aren’t taking care of yourself,” Hank argued. “Now, you’re going to at least go to Howard Stark’s wedding, or I’m going to force you into a leave of absence from the firm.” 

“Hank you can’t…” 

He meant it though. Peggy wouldn’t put it past him to force her out. Fine. She stood up, taking her invitation with her. She could handle a couple of weeks in the middle of nowhere Maine (god, only Howard Stark would pick the middle of nowhere because he could). She could use the time to free her mind, get some sleep, try some new food. She hadn’t ever been to Maine. Maybe it’d be a little like home. 

Maybe she and Danny could use some time to reconnect. 

“Alright, Hank, you win,” she said, irritated that she gave in so easily. “I’ll attend Howard Stark’s wedding.”

“There’s no winning in this,” Hank said, though he was clearly grinning. Or gloating. “Just try to enjoy yourself a little.” 

With a huff, she left the office, and began packing her stuff up. Yes, she was really going to do this. Take a holiday. She did deserve one, right? The four files stared up at her, begging to be picked up and gone through. Nope - she thought, resolutely. She wasn’t going to. If she had to withstand Howard Stark for a lengthy amount of time, she would do it on her own terms. Peggy Carter was going to take a real holiday. 

As she headed out, she noticed a tall man talking to the secretary. “The name is Nicholas Fury,” he said to the secretary. “And I’m here for my interview.” The man looked up at her, scanned her, as if assessing her, then turned her attention back to the secretary. Peggy waited, and watched as the man went towards Hank’s office. 

“Mandy - who was that?” Peggy asked the secretary. 

Mandy shrugged. “Mr. Pym said he was doing some interviewing this afternoon.” 

“Why?” 

Mandy shrugged again. “Mr. Pym said I wasn’t allowed to ask any more questions.” 

For a moment, Peggy considered turning back. Hank was up to something, and this interviewing was a part of it. She should storm right back in there and demand to know what was going on. And then Hank probably would force her into a leave of absence. Nope. She was not going to worry about it, she told herself firmly. Whatever it was would wait. She had a holiday to go on. 

***

“I think he’s trying to get rid of me?” Peggy was in her favorite booth of the cafe. Her friend Angie, on a break, across from her, hanging on to her every word. 

“What? He wouldn’t do that!” 

“I think he is,” Peggy said. She tapped tiny bag of sugar before pouring it onto her tea. “Why else would be shuffling me out the door, forcing me to go on a holiday, and then interviewing some random man for who knows what? He’s going to use the time I’m away to figure out how to fire me.” 

Angie considered. “I mean, from what you’ve said, he doesn’t seem like the two of you are bff, but outright fire you? Did you just solve sixteen cases in a row for the firm?” 

“Seventeen.” 

“It would be ludicrous, then, to fire you.” 

“That’s just what I thought,” Peggy said. Finally, someone sees it her way. There was a reason she was friends with Angie. “I mean, going on a holiday is one thing - but to be mandated to go to Howard Stark’s wedding of all things.” 

“Um, should I know who Howard Stark is again?” Angie asked. 

“He’s the one who offered you a holiday to Mexico while we were working on his case,” Peggy said. 

“Right, and why did I say no?” 

“Because he was on trail for murder.” 

“Oh, right.” 

“Anyway,” Peggy flittered her hand through the air. “Maybe it’s time I go. I have been under the shadow of Hank Pym my entire career. I am still young, and can still make a name for myself without the name Pym or Stark or anyone’s attached to mine.” 

“Damn straight, you can.” 

Peggy was fired up. She had contemplated starting her own firm for awhile now. Maybe this was what she needed. Maybe she’d use this holiday to figure what direction she really wanted her life to go in. 

“What about Danny?” Angie asked.

“Oh right, I suppose we should talk,” she thought. When was the last time she and Danny had a solid good conversation about anything - let alone what their future would be. He was never home. And she, Peggy supposed, had been buried in her work. 

“What’s going on?” Angie poked, always wanting to get the dirt. “Is something wrong with the world’s most perfect couple?”

“I’m afraid we’re definitely not perfect,” Peggy said, pursing her lips. “I don’t know what it is. Lately, it seems as though… Danny has been different. Distant maybe.” 

Angie’s eyes lit up. Apparently, Peggy’s relationship troubles were a source of great entertainment for her. “Which is why this is the perfect thing for you guys,” Angie said. “You get to fix your career, you can figure out your relationship. Maybe the Starks won’t be the only ones getting married!” 

Peggy shook her head, quickly dismissing it. “Angie, you have the silliest of romantic minds.”

“Well, one of us has to.”

“I suppose you’re right though,” Peggy sipped her tea, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. “Danny and I should use this time to reconnect.” 

“And, you know, hey, if you meet a cute guy in nowhere Maine, maybe you can give him my number,” Angie added, delighted at the thought.

Peggy laughed. “I’ll hardly be on the lookout for cute guys.” 

“Oh right, because usually, they just fall in your lap.” 

“Angie!” 

“I mean, if I had your bosom, I’d never have trouble getting a man.” 

Peggy blushed. “Seriously, Angie.” 

“What, I tell it like it is,” Angie said with a shrug. And she always had, which Peggy did appreciate, even when it was at her own expense. “Now get out there and relax a little. Enjoy the free vacation. In the meantime, do you want me to spy on Hank Pym for you?”

Peggy’s jaw dropped. “Absolutely not.” 

“Alright, daily reports, got it.” 

“Angie…” 

“Hey, how else am I going to entertain myself while you’re gone?” 

Peggy swatter at her as Angie got up. Her break was over, and Peggy really should have been headed home anyway. 

When Peggy arrived home that night, she expected that no one would be there. Danny had been staying late in the office lately, and she had been growing accustomed to eating dinner on her own. But when she arrived, she noticed something was off. 

The door was unlocked. There was a coat she didn’t recognize hanging on the back of the couch. She heard laughter coming from upstairs. Unsure of why an unknown guest would be up there, she quietly climbed the stairs. She called out for Danny, but didn’t get a reply. 

She felt a twist in her stomach when she noticed the bedroom light on, and the door was ajar. Danny was there alright, and in their bedroom with another person. 

“Danny?” she called out again, as she swung the bedroom door open. 

And there he was, her long time boyfriend Danny, the person she thought she had loved more than anyone, naked and in bed with a woman she had never seen before. 

Peggy didn’t know whether she wanted to scream or cry. Her boyfriend was having an affair.


	2. Chapter 2

North Pointe, Maine, a town off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, was much smaller than Peggy anticipated. One stoplight at the intersection of the two main crossroads of the tiny town. Why Howard Stark decided this place would be where he would get married was beyond Peggy. But as she drove the rental car up to the address of the B&B, she was glad she was away from all the bustle of the big city. 

Danny had been having an affair. The thought stirred on her mind as she got her suitcase out of the car and rolled it up the sidewalk. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, somewhere she thought she heard children laughing, the warmth and happiness of June seemed as if it were mocking her. Her longtime, live in boyfriend, the same guy she figured she’d eventually marry was sleeping with another woman. How could he? 

She had walked straight out of the bedroom after what she saw. Danny, of course, had called after her. And do what, exactly? Maybe have a conversation? Try to explain why he was completely naked with another woman? Did they just fall on the bed together and oops their clothes fell off? She didn’t give him a chance to explain, she left and that was that. 

Later, she’d have Angie sneak into the house and pack her a small suitcase of things. Danny wasn’t there, Angie had reported. Probably staying at her house. Whoever she was. And fine. It was fine. She was going to be fine. Suddenly, Hank Pym’s suggestion of leaving for awhile, even if she did suspect something fishy going on at work, too, sounded like the best option. She should clear her head, take a holiday. Run off to middle of nowhere Maine that the eccentric Howard Stark felt the need to get married. 

Her relationship was over. Clearly. Her job? Who knows - Hank Pym always kept his secrets close. But for once in her life, she was going to put her life problems aside and take a break. What’s the worst that could happen? 

The B&B, it turned out, was a remodeled old house, romantic and picturesque, complete with a terrace that wrapped around the entire place. At least it looks cozy, she thought as she went up the few steps. 

Outside the front door was a porch swing, and sitting on the swing were two people both dressed in suits. One was a woman, whose red hair was pulled tightly up in a bun and the other a man who wore glasses. They were smiling, almost too broadly as Peggy walked up. At first she thought maybe they were part of the B&B staff, they were, after all, both wearing business attire. However, they didn’t great her as she went towards the door. 

Their stares made Peggy uneasy. “Excuse me, but are you here with the B&B?” she asked. 

“Oh, no,” the woman laughed, a little too loudly, and batted at the man next to her. “My name is Natasha. I’m here with my new husband. We’re newlyweds on our honeymoon, right lovebug?” 

The man seemed genuinely confused for a moment. “Oh, right,” he coughed, then extended a hand. “I’m Bruce Banner, and this is, uh, my lovely wife Natasha.”

Peggy shook his hand lightly. “Peggy Carter.” They continued to stare. It was perplexing. “You wouldn’t also be here for Howard Stark’s wedding, would you?” 

“Who’s Howard Stark?” the Natasha asked looking to her husband back up at Peggy. 

“What an odd name, Stark, that name would stick with you wouldn’t it?” Bruce added. 

“Definitely,” Natasha said. “Pretty sure I’d remember someone with that name.” Natasha let out a giggle that didn’t seem quite natural. 

The pair ducked their heads together, allowing Peggy to slip away from the odd encounter. Before she entered the B&B, however, her phone rang. 

“Hello?” 

“Peggy! Danny had an affair and you didn’t tell me?” Angie’s sharp voice carried through the phone. 

“Why, hello to you, too, Angie,” Peggy said, flustered. The couple on the porch swing look at her curiously. Peggy turned away. 

“Peggy, c’mon, details…” 

“Yes, it happened,” Peggy replied grimly. “How did you even know about that?” 

“I overheard Hank Pym talking about it to his secretary.” 

Peggy groaned. “Oh, I have so many questions that I don’t really want to ask.” 

“Do you want the long version or the short version?” Angie asked. She was delighted to be having the conversation - much more than Peggy was. 

“I’m not sure I want to hear any version.” 

“Look, you don’t need to worry,” Angie said. “He didn’t even know I was there. I was stealthy. I promised you I would keep an eye on things, and I am, and so far it looks like your job is safe, but there is a guy with an eyepatch walking around now and…” 

“Ang, please do not stalk my work…” 

“Alright, but the affair, Peggy, what’s going on?” 

Peggy bit her lip. Her heart felt heavy at the suggestion. “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“Of course you don’t,” Angie said. “Now give me all the details.” 

“Angie!” 

“Hey! This is what I’m here for,” Angie said. “To help you cope and eat ice cream and watch a lot of those really cheesy Hallmark movies, you know the ones where the girls all leave their big time jobs for the small towns because some hot lumberjack helps save Christmas or something.” 

“Oh my god…” Peggy buried her head in her hand. 

“I can totally slash his tires for you if you like.” 

“You will do no such thing,” Peggy scolded. She loved her friend dearly, but she didn’t want Angie intervening. She didn’t want anyone intervening. What she wanted to do was move on and not think about it at all. “Look, it’s over, and I’m okay.”

“You’re really okay?” Angie’s voice grew softer and concerned. “Or you’re just saying you’re okay because that’s what you do?” 

Peggy wasn’t sure how to answer that. How did she feel about all of it? Angry? Sadness? Frustration? Relief? There was a lot to process, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about any of it. “I don’t know, but I’m here now. I’m going to enjoy my holiday and I’m not going to think about it for a while, okay?” 

“Okay,” Angie said. Then after a pause. “But while you’re there - make sure you run into a hot lumberjack.” 

“Good-bye, Angie.” 

Peggy promptly hung up the phone. 

Peggy entered the B&B, a little bell ringing above her as she did so. Walking in, the place wasn’t what she expected at all. It was although she had transferred back in time. The furniture and light fixtures were all antiques. The walls were covered with black and white photographs on the walls of golden age movie stars, World War 2 posters, and other memorabilia from decades long ago. There was even a gramophone in the corner quietly playing a jazz record. 

“Well,” Peggy said, taking a moment to look at everything. “Someone sure does enjoy their 40s sentimentality.” 

“Well, you know, it was a simpler time.” A man came up beside her as she surveyed what looked like a Norman Rockwell painting. 

“Simpler?” Peggy scoffed. “Well, maybe for some people, but when you think about how history cleans it all up to make it look idyllic. I’d hardly call it simpler. Who in their right mind would want to romanticize it? You would think the owner would at least update the furniture. And the lighting in her is so dark.” 

The man let out an amused laugh. “Maybe the owner doesn’t mind the aesthetic.” 

“Well, the owner clearly needs better taste.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind the next time I inherit a B&B.” 

Peggy let out a gasp, and blushed - clearly embarrassed. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean...” 

“It’s alright. You were just speaking your mind,” the man said, kindly. Peggy then really noticed the man standing beside her. He was ridiculously attractive, blond hair, blue eyes, a jaw that could cut glass, and he was wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans that really fit his built physique nicely. Somewhere, miles away, she could hear Angie break down laughing at her. The man, however, had a warm smile, and didn’t seem to mind the interaction at all. “Welcome to the Captain Rogers Inn. I’m the owner - Steve Rogers. Pleasure to meet you ma’am.” 

  
  



End file.
